Find out how two extraordinary leaders changed religion and the world In April 2014, Pope Francis will jointly canonize two predecessors, John Paul II and John XXIII, in a move that recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of these leaders of the Catholic faith. An estimated 1 million people filled St. Peter's Square and the surrounding streets for John Paul II's beatification, and the joint canonization will attract even more. With John Paul II For Dummies, Special Edition you can learn more about these admired religious leaders and join millions of devotees in celebrating their lives and legacies. You'll get an in-depth look at John Paul II's remarkable life and achievements and learn more about the beloved John XXIII in a bonus chapter. With this special edition e-book written in friendly, plain English, you'll discover how John Paul II's deep religious convictions affected world politics, history, and the Catholic faith. You'll be introduced to his influences, his personal struggles, the way he impacted the Church, and his methods for spreading his powerful message. Catholics and non-Catholics alike will find the stories of these holy men fascinating and inspiring. Introduces you to the lives and legacies of both John Paul II and John XXIII Presents you with the struggles, influences, and approaches to world politics of John Paul II, whose actions had a great impact on history Includes a bonus chapter that details the life of John XXIII, who will be canonized along with John Paul II in April 2014 Written in an engaging, accessible style and a great read for Catholics and non-Catholics alike John Paul II For Dummies, Special Edition is your guide to discovering the exemplary lives of two rare and extraordinary men who have influenced generations of people all over the world.

Find out how two extraordinary leaders changed religion and theworldIn April 2014, Pope Francis will jointly canonize twopredecessors, John Paul II and John XXIII, in a move thatrecognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of these leaders ofthe Catholic faith. An estimated 1 million people filled St.Peter's Square and the surrounding streets for John Paul II'sbeatification, and the joint canonization will attract even more.With John Paul II For Dummies, Special Edition youcan learn more about these admired religious leaders and joinmillions of devotees in celebrating their lives and legacies.You'll get an in-depth look at John Paul II's remarkable life andachievements and learn more about the beloved John XXIII in a bonuschapter.With this special edition e-book written in friendly, plainEnglish, you'll discover how John Paul II's deep religiousconvictions affected world politics, history, and the Catholicfaith. You'll be introduced to his influences, his personalstruggles, the way he impacted the Church, and his methods forspreading his powerful message. Catholics and non-Catholics alikewill find the stories of these holy men fascinating andinspiring.* Introduces you to the lives and legacies of both John Paul IIand John XXIII* Presents you with the struggles, influences, and approaches toworld politics of John Paul II, whose actions had a great impact onhistory* Includes a bonus chapter that details the life of John XXIIIwho will be canonized along with John Paul II in April 2014* Written in an engaging, accessible style and a great read forCatholics and non-Catholics alikeJohn Paul II For Dummies, Special Edition is your guideto discovering the exemplary lives of two rare and extraordinarymen who have influenced generations of people all over theworld.

Foreword xixIntroduction 1Part I: Getting to Know John Paul II 9Chapter 1: John Paul II: A Man for All Seasons 11Chapter 2: Looking at the Landscape of JP2's Life 27Chapter 3: Discovering the Man Who Would Be Pope 47Chapter 4: Identifying Early Influences in John Paul II's Life 57Chapter 5: Building the Foundation of His Thinking and Reasoning 71Part II: Continuing the Legacy of Others and the Traditions of the Church 79Chapter 6: Tracing John Paul II's Career 81Chapter 7: Continuing the Council: Understanding Vatican II 97Chapter 8: Holding the Line: Reinforcing Church Values, Teachings, and Traditions 111Chapter 9: Defending a Civilization of Life versus a Culture of Death 129Part III: Putting His Unique Stamp on the Papacy 145Chapter 10: Keeping Up to Date: Moving the Catholic Church into the Modern Era 147Chapter 11: Internationalizing the Church: Making It "Catholic" 165Chapter 12: Building Bridges: Reaching Out to Other Religions 171Chapter 13: Slaying the Dragon: Helping to Defeat the Evil Empire 187Chapter 14: Sanctifying the Saints and Saintly of the World 201Chapter 15: Giving Hope to the Young: World Youth Day 209Part IV: Embracing Modernity and Looking to the Future 223Chapter 16: The Epic Visits of a Traveling Pope 225Chapter 17: A Media-Savvy Pope 235Chapter 18: Exploring Sainthood 243Chapter 19: Concerning the Future of the Papacy 253Part V: The Part of Tens 269Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Reasons That Pope John Paul II Was Truly the "People's Pope" 271Chapter 21: Ten Fun Facts about Pope John Paul II 281Chapter 22: Ten Important Papal Encyclicals of John Paul II 287Chapter 23: Ten Notable Beatifications and Canonizations of Pope John Paul II 321Chapter 24: Ten Saintly Characteristics 335Part VI: Appendixes 339Appendix A: A Brief Chronology of Pope John Paul II's Life and Times 341Appendix B: Travel Itinerary for John Paul II's Papacy 347Appendix C: A Look at the Life of Pope John XXIII 355Index 359